Summary: Before Apple releases its newest software update, it’s a good idea to make sure your device is running the latest version of iOS or iPadOS currently available.

In this video, I’ll show you how to:

• Find your current software version
• Check whether an update is available
• Download and install the latest update
• Prepare your device before beginning
• Confirm that the update installed correctly

The instructions are demonstrated on an iPhone, but the same steps work on an iPad:

Settings → General → Software Update

Before installing an update, remember to plug your device into power, choose a time when you won’t need it for a little while, and make sure you know your six-digit passcode. Your device will restart automatically during the process—that’s perfectly normal.

Summary: Most of us use the apps on our iPhone or iPad the same way: Find the icon, tap it, and wait for the app to open. It works perfectly well—but sometimes there’s a quicker way to get where you’re going.

Many app icons have a small menu of useful shortcuts hiding right on your Home Screen. To find them, you simply touch and hold an icon for about two seconds. Apple commonly calls these Quick Actions, although many people refer to the gesture itself as a “long press.”

For example, a long press on the Camera icon can let you jump directly to taking a selfie, recording a video, or shooting a portrait. Try it with Notes, and you can immediately create a checklist, scan a document, or record audio. Reminders can give you shortcuts to the lists you use most often.

These aren’t complicated advanced features. They’re simply convenient little time-savers that are easy to overlook—and once you start experimenting with them, you may be surprised by how many you find.

So, let’s uncover a few of those hidden shortcuts.

Remember: You can’t break it!